Swelter
by TomArlo
Summary: Jughead struggles to keep his life and relationships from collapsing after Riverdale's dashing newcomer develops a sinister obessession with the young Serpent.
1. Chapter 1: Spiraling

"It was a day like any other,"

Wasn't it?

Jughead frowned.

Even in the hidden realms of his own thoughts, those words sounded completely false. Like the rosy start of some passionate teen fantasy rather than the nightmarish terror it truly was.

Why did he assume that saying these words out loud would make it any better?

It's nothing more than a low-energy lie he conjured up in the early morning hours of yet another wakeful night.

The young writer sat up in his makeshift bed, pushing his tousled hair back with one shaking hand. He recoiled when his fingers accidentally brushed against a particularly tender spot on his scalp.

The powerless surrendering motion of being dragged by his hair is something he never wants to experience again. In fact, it's not a memory he ever imagined to be unfortunate enough to have, despite the merciless area he grew up in.

It's such a disrespectful gesture.

A gap in the curtains proved that it was still quite dark outside. Drops of rain echoed quietly on the metal shell of the trailer. Soft and peaceful, in full contrast with his inner turmoil.

These swirling 4 am thoughts were supposed to ease the feelings of guilt that grounded down on his chest.

To take away some of the shame he felt from being so _incredibly_ stupid.

At least, that's what the counselor told him. She spoke to him for hours on end, but all he could remember is her strange purple lipstick, the book charm on her keys and the few words of advice she gave near the end.

To summarise it, recognizing (and believing, mind you) that you couldn't have helped it, is supposed to shift the blame entirely to that...

He's not even sure what to call the man.

What would a slur help in anyway? It doesn't make it hurt any less.

Maybe just... him.

Though even that sounded so... demonizing.

His weary mind's voice attempted once again, persisting through his wave of negative dialogue.

"How could I have known?"

There was nothing out of the ordinary. No alarming signs, no hidden messages.

Not a single red flag.

Nothing to warn him.

He seemed like the average guy. Maybe even a bit kinder than your typical adult male.

Cookie-cutter my-daddy-will-love-you type for any innocent Riverdale maiden in the market. A gentleman. A secure position in a thriving company. Enough hobbies to make him seem like a man far too busy for unholy nightly activities.

And, as embarrassing as it is to admit it, Jughead found him remarkably handsome. As did many others, or so it seemed from the looks and whispers that ignited whenever he would enter a room.

Jughead sighed in frustration, knitting his fingers in the worn quilted blanket.

"It not my..."

He hesitated before the word "fault". He reached for his phone and flipped it around, staring at the blackened screen. Despite the massive crack in the corner of the glass, he could still make out his own exhausted features.

"You should repeat these affirmations in front of a mirror," the counselor said. "Say it with power. Convince yourself."

It's worth a shot.

"It's not my fault. How could I have known?" His voice broke slightly near the end, shaking the frail and rickety bridge his emotions were balanced on; much more than it should have.

He shut his eyes, bitterly.

Here he is, eight months later, and thinking back now, it was as clear as daylight that there was something seriously wrong with Charles Cooper.

And he should have been more careful.

** _Author's note_ **

_Hope you enjoyed this. The next chapter is in progress. _

_Warning that this story will contain mature elements and elements of abuse, stalking, obsession, etc. _

_Do not read this if that upsets you. _

_Charles and Jughead is not related in this fanfiction. He's merely Betty's brother. Criticism welcome. _

_Yours sincerely,_

_Tom Arlo._


	2. Chapter 2: Emerging

**Chapter 2: Emerging**

**_Eight months earlier_ **

Jughead was surprised to see how radient Mrs Cooper looked, as if she somehow become years younger overnight. The story with Hal took it a terrible toll on her and Betty's relationship, as well as their personal wellbeing.

Over the past few months, Betty has developed a strange habit of periodically shutting herself off from the real world. When she feels overwhelmed by her emotions, whether they were negative or positive, she would respond by residing back into her own mind and putting up a front designed to keep people away, much like a spiky tortoise shell. He knew it wasn't healthy. An extensive internet search didn't make him any wiser on how to handle it, but he did figure out that it was a coping mechanism and therefor, not all bad.

He glanced over to her, subtly. She was even doing it now.

"And I was thinking," Alice started, interrupting Jughead's thoughts. "That since we are all going to be together for at least two weeks, perhaps we should use this time to really do some proper family bonding." Betty's gaze snapped up, and Jughead flinched as she grabbed his hand. "What do you mean, Mom?"

"Well, I spoke to an old friend of mine who now runs a Family Therapy center, and she said-"

"No, Mom, I mean what do you mean with_two_weeks?" Betty asked, keeping her voice surprisingly calm, "I thought we'll only be seeing each other for one week, not two."

"Betty," Polly started,"Mom and I thought after everything that happened, what this family needs is to spend as much time with each other as possible, so we don't have to experience all these confusing feelings on our own. We can talk to each other about how we feel and what we are going to do about those...Bad emotions."

"Why do we need to talk about it, it already happened? I think we should cut it out of our lives and move on." Betty gritted her teeth, keeping a stable demeanour.

"Well now, how healthy is that?" Polly asked, disapprovingly, "You know at the Farm, we-"

"This is not the Farm, Polly," Betty stated, sternly. "We don't have time to sit around and share feelings, it won't make a difference."

"Elizabeth, don't be rude," Alice scolded, "Polly is only trying to help. Obviously this has affected you deeply. We just want to make sure you're getting the right... treatment."

"Does Charles know about this extended family time?" Betty asked, pretending not to hear her mother's last sentence.

"Well, not quite. Your.. Brother," Alice said, hesitantly, avoiding her daughter's harsh look, "Your brother is not in Riverdale just for our time together. As you know, he is coming here for the investigation. I invited him to stay longer than a week, but he graciously declined and insisted he'd rather stay at the hotel in town, as to not disrupt our lives."

Betty's expression went from scowling to confused. "That's weirdly considerate."

Alice scoffed. "Well, out of three, I should have at least two polite children so it's not that strange. Besides, Polly and I will still convince him otherwise," she said, resting her hand on Polly's shoulder who gave her an excited smile. "From what I can tell, Charles is not very social, but we'll turn him into a real Cooper soon enough."

"Of course, Mom. I'm sure Charles will love it here," Polly sang, hugging Juniper tightly against her body, "I can't wait to see him, I wonder if he's got someone in the eye!"

The two ladies giggled and began discussing the possibility of Charles having a potential partner, all while Betty was still surprised. Jughead took his chance and leaned over to her, whispering with a smile:

"Seems like Charles takes more after you than we thought," He said, teasingly.

Betty huffed, "Well, I... We'll see." She stubbornly crossed her arms and moved to rest against Jughead, who immediately welcomed her with a strong one-armed hug.

Time dragged by, but Jughead and Betty didn't mind too much. Alice and Polly were now trading scandalous tidbits of people they both know, keeping the young couple entertained to some extend. Before they knew it, it was already time for lunch.

"Shall we go out to eat?" Alice suggested.

"Just anywhere but Pop's, I can't stand that place," Polly said, earning a glare from Betty and Jughead.

"Jug and I have plans," Betty said, quickly. "We're having lunch with Archie and Veronica," She paused to look at Polly, "At Pop's."

"Oh Betty, you see them everyday. You and Jughead can join me, Polly and the twins for a proper meal in Greendale. There's a wonderful little garden restaurant that sells all sorts of dishes, thankfully nothing fried." Alice stood up, Dagwood balanced on her hip. "It will do the two of you good to get out of this town for a bit. Afterwards we can all go shopping."

"Mom," Betty started, "We are all going to see more than enough of each other for the coming_two_weeks." An idea sparked in her mind. "How about Jughead and I go to our friends and then after that, we go pick up the baby cots. That way, you and Polly get some quality time together and you don't have to worry about doing it tomorrow and potentially missing Charles's arrival. Juniper and Dagwood can't keep sleeping in your bed in anyway, what if they crawl out?"

Alice thought for a bit. "Oh alright, I suppose that's not a bad idea. Fine, I would actually appreciate it."

Betty smiled and glanced at Jughead, who seemed equally happy with the idea. A place that doesn't serve anything fried sounded like somewhere he wouldn't feel very welcome in anyway.

"Mrs C, if you'd like, we can ask my dad if he'll assemble the cots? Betty and I will take it to him tonight and it shouldn't take too long. We should be back around... seven,"Jughead said, as casually as possible. Betty ducked her head to hide her smile. She knew F.P. Jones was out of town for the weekend and Jughead himself will probably only take 10 minutes to assemble the cots. The rest of the time they can use to entertain each other in the empty trailer, plus they get to miss the undoubtedly formal sit-down dinner.

"Assemble?" Alice looked confused. "You have to assemble those things? Well, alright, if he doesn't mind to do it."

"Eh," Jughead shrugged,"What's he gonna have better to do on a Saturday night."

"Didn't it use to be you, Mom?" Betty whispered, wiggling her eyebrows at her mother.

"Betty Cooper, don't be absurd," Her mother snapped, but the telltale blush on her neck said differently. Her daughter wasn't wrong. She and FP spent multiple nights in each other's arms, even before this whole story with Hal. He was a warm, masculine safehouse she would escape to when Hal would drive her up the walls with anger. All of her frustrations could be released in a single heated minute against that powerful chest. Although she certainly attempted to keep Betty in the dark, she knew that FP has a different relationship with his son. Far more open and honest. Jughead probably knows more than she would like him to know. Her eyes lingered on his for a while, but he broke her gaze, looking instead at the carpet. "Tell your father that I say hi, and that I hope to see him at the fair next week."

"Yes ma'am, I'll tell him to go," Jughead said with a half salute.

Alice nodded approvingly as she adjusted her jacket, keeping her expression neutral. It's very difficult not to like Jughead, as much as she hates to admit it. He is all the good parts of FP mashed together into a smaller, more sensitive form. Decent, kind, intelligent. Mature, for the most part. His decisions certainly haven't been the best in the past, but what can she expect from someone who's still wet behind the ears. People can say what they want about the Jones and their skeletons, but one thing is for sure, they raise their children exceptionally well.

"Please keep my daughter safe."

"Always, Mrs C," Jughead said with a smile. Alice feintly smiled back before turning to Polly, who was adjusting Dagwood's cap.

"Alright then, we'll be off. Elizabeth, remember your keys. Oh!" Alice spun around, "Before I forget, would you pick up your brother's copy of the keys from the locksmith on your way back?"

"Wow, we haven't even formally met him and you're already giving him keys? Mom, isn't that a bit reckless?" Betty asked, concerned.

"You forget, Betty, I have actually met with Charles before and he is harmless. A real sweetheart. And I want him to feel like he is welcome here anytime at all. Besides," She searched through her handbag, scooping out the key's order number and a novelty keychain, "Charles is with the FBI. If he wants to get in somewhere, he will. Key or no key."

That last part had a shiver raking down Jughead's spine. The idea of people misusing their power positions has always been something that made him uncomfortable. He knows Mrs Cooper's words shouldn't be taken lightly. With his father now holding the position as the town's Sheriff, he saw first-hand just how easily Riverdale's meager security is to bypass. And with Charles's heritage, who knows what he's capable of.

Betty still seemed displeased with the idea but agreed nonetheless.

Everyone gathered their things to go their separate ways. Tomorrow was going to be one heck of an emotional rollercoaster for Betty, so Jughead definitely intended on relieving her stress before then.

But first it's off to Pop's for some ice-cold, double-thick Milkshakes and a catch-up with the rest of their pack.

xxxxx

"OMG! I want to meet him too!" Veronica exclaimed, "I can't believe it, B. How are you not more excited, this is major!" She squealed, nearly knocking over Archie's chocolate shake. They were comfortably positioned in their usual booth, each with a shake and one large plate of chips in the middle.

"It's not a big deal, trust me." Betty said, "If he is half my mom and half my dad, he's probably just like Polly. So yay, two Polly's. "

"Um, and also just like you?" Veronica reminded her, to which Betty pulled a face.

"Well yeah, but two of me? Come on."

Archie laughed, shaking his head. "You shouldn't be so negative about this. Maybe you guys can become good friends?"

"He's like a decade older than me, Arch. We're going to have nothing in common," Betty exasperated, picking at her straw. "I bet he's one of those guys who watches soap opera's and thinks vaccinations is bad for you, I don't know."

"I watch soap opera's," Archie said with a confused look, earning a laugh from Jughead. Veronica grinned and placed her hand on the boxer's wrist.

"Either way, I am defs hanging out in Archie's room tomorrow morning so I can check this guy out. I bet he looks like a movie star."

"Or a serial killer?" Betty suggested dryly. "I've seen him before, I mean, he's not bad-looking. But I prefer dark-haired boys," She leaned over to nuzzle against Jughead, who smirked.

"You know I die my hair, right?" He joked.

"I love blondes," Veronica announced, grabbing her corset's edges and hoisting it up. "So I can't wait to meet him."

"Hey?" Archie asked incredulously.

"Don't be jealous, Archikins, you know you're the only one for me. But I do like to befriend attractive men. My daddy says you can win an election if you get the nation to trust a handsome face. And a handsome face in the FBI could be just what I need for my future endeavours with Le Bon Louis." The Lodge Heir proudly brushed her hair back.

"Let's stop talking about Charles," Betty said, running her fingertips over her manicured nails. She stopped biting them around a month ago and they've never looked better.

"Alright, we can change the topic, but on one condition." Veronica said, slyly.

Betty narrowed her eyes as Veronica continued. "I want a full body, HQ pic of your bro and you, taken by your camera," She pointed at Jughead, "Candids are fine. It's probably weird to force two strangers to fake smile into a camera lense in anyway."

Jughead shrugged. "I can take a picture if you want, but Mrs Cooper is probably going to take a billion, why not just get one from her?"

"Because I want to see them from your angle. You have a unique way of taking photos. They always come out looking quite eerie. And I want to see how much Betty and Charles look alike when they are relaxed and natural."

"Which is probably not what he is going to be tomorrow," Betty said. "My mom says Charles isn't very social, so it's probably going to be a formal, stiff conversation most of the time."

"Not social doesn't mean not charming," Veronica informed her, wagging her finger. "Jughead is basically a hermit and he's not a total spaz in convo's."

"Thank you, I think?" Jughead said, mildly amused. "But sure, I'll take a photo, if Betty is okay with it?"

Betty nodded. "You know what, why not. I want to see it too. The photos I have are blurry. I can do with some new ones of my 'new' sibling."

"That's the spirit!" Veronica said gleefully, "I'll call you tomorrow evening for an update. I don't want to miss thing."

"I'll introduce him to you on Tuesday. Just give him a day or so to settle in. Who knows, he might take one look at the Coopers and then run for the hills," Betty drawled, dragging her finger around the edge of the glass.

Veronica raised her eyebrows, but said nothing.

Tomorrow is going to be one heck of Sunday in the Cooper household.

Xxxxx *

** _Authors Note_ **

_Hope you enjoyed this chapter._

_Feedback welcome, thanks for reading. _

_Sincerely_

_Tom Arlo._


	3. Chapter 3: Connection

"My mom is going to kill me!" Betty hissed, searching feverishly through her bookbag for anything that remotely resembles make-up. Thankfully she always kept an emergency set of clothes at the Jones's trailer, but it's far from what her mother would have wanted her to wear for the unofficial Cooper Reunion. Instead of a prudish church-dress and kitten heels, she was wearing an over-sized S T-Shirt, cargo shorts and sneakers. "How did we sleep through_both_alarms?"

"I have no idea," Jughead said, worried. He was dressed equally as casual, his beanie skillfully hiding his ruffled hair. "But I'm more bothered by the fact that we slept for 12 hours straight. What the heck was in that pizza?"

They were in FP's truck, zipping through the already bustling neighborhood. Families were having late-breakfast on their porches, walking their dogs and getting ready to go to church. Jughead's driving was fast, but careful, seeing as the roads were wet and slippery from the night before. He knew the routes like the back of his hand and they reached the North in record time. After completing all of their tasks the night before, the couple rewarded themselves with a large pizza, two horror movies, and a great make-out session. Betty's mother agreed to allow Betty to spend the night at "Veronica", provided that she shows up at the house by 6 am.

It wasn't until 8:23 that they were rudely awakened by Toni Topaz's hammering on the door. Toni was called by Veronica who was called by Betty's frantic mother. Thankfully, all Lodge's (especially the two ladies) can lie without so much as a second thought and Veronica just went along with it, sweetly assuring Alice that Betty is on her merry way.

And here she was, almost two hours late and certainly not with Veronica.

"Well, I am not going to be popular today," Betty groaned, hacking a dried mascara brush over her lashes. Save for inappropriately dark lipstick, she didn't have many beauty products with her. "Well, I give up." She said, falling back into the seat. "Charles is going to see me in my PJ's most of the weekends in any way so he might as well get used to the casual look."

Jughead smirked. "You look fine. I think it will break the ice a bit. Your mom and Polly are probably going to be all weirdly formal and dolled up."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Betty muttered, shaking her head, "I can already feel the disapproving looks. My Mom is going to think I did it on purpose. Hey," She jumped forward in the seat, leaning closer to the frosted window.

"Seatbelt," Jughead scolded, but Betty brushed him off.

"Look! Is that his car?" Betty asked, frowning at the colossal black SUV in the Cooper Driveway. "Wow, talk about stereotypical, this feels like a CSI episode," she huffed, sitting back down.

"No stickers," Jughead noted, "And check the number plate. I don't think this is a work car."

"You mean he drives this_by choice_? I guess some people are just destined for their careers."

A scatter of leaves clung to the top of the car, likely from the shedding oak above it. The neighbor's cat, Oreo, idly rubbed his head against the tire's ridge.

"Looks like he was just on time if even Oreo has gotten used to the car" Betty pointed out. Jughead frowned. He knew the cat usually avoided strange objects for at least a week, let alone an hour. His dad's truck got hissed at for an entire month.

They reached the Cooper house.

"What was I complaining about yesterday, this is a billion times worse," Betty hid her face in her hands.

"Don't stress Bets, it's only going to be awkward for the first five minutes," Jughead assured her, squeezing her shoulder with one hand as he slowed down. "Your Mom is probably so happy to see Charles in any way; she'll only be focused on him." He carefully parked in the side of the street. "Seeing as this is probably intended by your Mom to be a closed reunion, I will walk you to the door and-"

"Will you stay with me?" She pleaded, grabbing his wrist. He was surprised. The desperation in her eyes, her shaking pupils, it wasn't something he was used to seeing. Jughead wrapped his hand around hers.

"Of course I will," He leaned towards her and she copied, leaning her head against his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head. The apple and cinnamon scent of her hair sent a wave of tranquility through him. His legs went weak.

They stayed like that for a minute, Jughead patiently allowing Betty to gather her courage, before shutting off the truck and hopping out. It was chilly outside, as most Autumn mornings in Riverdale were, and the icy wind wasn't making the youngest Cooper feel any less uneasy.

Jughead offered his serpent jacket to her, which she declined. "If I really want to push my Mom's buttons, I should greet Charles in that."

A snicker escaped from Jughead's throat as he threw the jacket in the back of the truck, opting for a jacketless style as well. "Good point. Do you know what questions you're going to ask him yet?"

"I barely know what I'm going to call him. Do I have to say Charles? Or... Brother? Or Sir?" She asked sourly, hooking in with Jughead as they walked towards the front door.

"Definitely not Sir," Jughead laughed, "Your mom will freak,"

Betty grinned at the idea, pushing her shoulders back as they stopped in front of the closed door. She did forget her keys yesterday but luckily remembered to pick up Charles's set. She fished it out, her eyes lingering a few seconds on the strange keychain.

"I didn't even look at this properly, is it a parrot?" She frowned, holding the item up for Jughead to see.

Jughead smiled. "Chicken. You guys are the Coopers. Get it? Coop? Like Chicken house."

Betty rolled her eyes.

"How cheesy," She scoffed, but felt her heart warm up. It's a sweet gesture and she could tell her mother really wanted to make things right with Charles. She and Polly have only known about Charles for a few months now, but her mother had to carry this guilt-ridden secret with her for decades. And now she has a second chance at being in her son's life. Shockingly, Charles didn't seem to have a lot of resentment towards her. Well, not anymore. Alice kept the arrangements between her and Charles fairly secretive. Perhaps he did in the beginning, and that's why they are only doing this meeting now.

"Here goes nothing," Betty whispered, inserting the key into the door. Before she could turn it, the door swung open, giving her a fright. Jughead seems to have expected it since he stayed rock-steady next to her.

"Betty!" Polly exclaimed, surprisingly joyous, "Finally! And you're here too, Jughead! Good, the more the merrier, come on in," She gushed, ushering them inside. Betty and Jughead shared a quick suspicious glance. Even from their spots at the front door, they could clearly hear Alice's jolly tone. The house smelled of baked scones and freshly brewed coffee; a very welcoming feel.

"Hey, Polly," Jughead greeted, slightly awkward. "I'm assuming your br-um, Charles is already here?"

Polly glanced over her shoulder, grinning excitedly, "Yes, he's here. And I really like him, he's very nice," She assured, directing it towards Betty. "You'll like him too."

Betty gave her a weak smile, not quite reaching her eyes. "Great. Let's meet him then. But I'm taking Jughead with me," She warned.

"We assumed," Polly waved it away, "Come on, come on."

Jughead scanned the older Cooper sister up and down, noting that she was wearing a flower-pattern sundress, flat shoes and light make-up. She looked like a true mother. He wondered if Jason would have clicked so smoothly into this parenthood thing, the way Polly did.

He honestly couldn't imagine Jason as a father.

Not a good one, anyway.

They followed Polly to the sitting room, staying a few feet behind her.

Betty could feel her stomach twisting. 'It's not a big deal,' she confidently told Veronica, yet here she was, feeling like she's about to get sick. Yes, meeting your estranged brother for the second time in your life, is not a big deal. It's big, but certainly shouldn't be causing the emotions she was currently feeling. Rather, the emotions of her sister.

Perhaps it was the thought of meeting the male offspring of that wretched man and having him live in their house. She knew it was childish to assume that because Charles is a man, he would take after her father and she, female, after her mother.

While in truth, she was probably more like her father than anyone else in the house.

As they approached the sitting room, they could make out more and more of the conversation. Betty cringed when she heard her name. Wonderful. What secrets was her mother babbling out to this stranger?

"... not to mention college choices! Betty will be in her senior year next year, so she should start looking around," Alice's tone was optimistic, not in the least bit tense. It sounded more like she was talking to an old friend, rather than her long lost son.

"Time flies, doesn't it?" A friendly voice responded, soft, but clear. "Juniper and Dagwood will probably keep you quite busy during that time; won't they be toddlers by then?"

Betty was confounded. She certainly didn't recognize_this_voice. Yes, she heard him spoke before, but in her mind, she imagined him to sound more gruff and unfriendly. Not this warm, husky tone. Perhaps she demonized this man in her head more than she realized. Or intended. After all, their first meeting was a brief discussion in a random town's coffee shop. She remembered being far more interested in the hem of her sleeves at the time.

"They will!" Alice laughed, "And at the rate my other daughter is going, I might have more grandkids by then." She said, winking at Charles, who chuckled. Betty felt her face heat up and Jughead took a sharp breath through his teeth, scratching the back of his neck, shyly.

"Mom!" Polly interrupted, skipping into the room. Jughead and Betty stayed outside the door, both hesitant. "Look who's finally here! Betty and Jughead," She cooed, gesturing behind her.

"Oh, speak of the devil!" Alice said, "Charles, your sister isn't usually so tardy, isn't that right, Elizabeth?" The last part was said more chastising, but overall good-natured.

The young pair stepped into the room just as Charles and Alice stood up. The twins were happily playing with their toys on a thick blanket near the coffee table. Polly moved to sit with them, gently taking the rattle from Dagwood's tiny fist.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Betty started, her voice somewhat defying. Jughead grit his teeth, immediately picking up on best friend's sudden hostility. He really hoped she was going to give the guy a chance. He wanted to size up this newcomer, but couldn't tear his gaze away from Betty, carefully anticipating her next move.

"Me and um, Veronica-" She continued, but Alice interrupted her.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, at least you're here now. Come closer, you as well, FP." She clicked her tongue at herself for the name mix-up and brushed it off.

Betty didn't comply with her mother's request. She stood frozen, her eyes were glued to the man a few feet from her mother.

He stood motionless; his gaze stern. He's huge, certainly taller than her father. His hair was closer to a tawny brown instead of the light blonde she imagined. Cold, almost grey irises. It was bizarre to think that the charming voice they heard just seconds ago came from a person with this daunting appearance. Intimidating wasn't quite the right word to describe him.

Unnerving, perhaps.

Right of the bat, he reminded her of a lion. Not a fat, lazy lion. Rather, a ruthless, unpredictable lioness. A brutal carnivore who will protect her territory valiantly. Betty racked her brain, seeking to compare him to a less diabolical (preferably male) animal, but her thoughts kept circling back to a lioness.

Then it hit her why.

He reminded her of their mother.

Alice had allowed Betty a moment to take in Charles's presence and process the situation. The room was silent, save for Juniper and Dagwood's little sounds. Jughead held his breath. He gently placed his hand on Betty's lower-back; not pushing, just showing her that he was there for her.

Charles was the first to break the tense atmosphere. He took a step forward, "Elizabeth," He said, tentatively. "We meet again. Only this time, in your town."

'In my territory,' Betty thought wryly, approaching the lioness.

"Yes. So it seems," She started, her voice constrained, "It's nice to see you again, Sir."

Betty couldn't believe her ears when the word left her mouth. Alice was just as surprised and she gave an awkward, slightly too-loud laugh. Charles's eyebrows raised. It was obvious that he didn't expect this formal tag either. Jughead ducked his head, cursing their earlier conversation. This type of thing has happened to him countless times. He knew it was just an accident.

Polly snorted. To her, it was hilarious.

"Betty, he's not that old," Her sister giggled, "You can call him by his name."

Charles gave a bashful smile as Betty stammered. "I-I'm sorry," She said, "I specifically thought in my head that I shouldn't say 'Sir', and then I ended up saying it." She explained, tugging nervously at her pants pockets and biting her lip. The look her mother gave her made her feel like a naughty child. She knew this was not the way Alice wanted this to go.

Charles laughed, surprising her. "It's okay, I understand. I've done it before as well. You can call me whatever you're comfortable with. And to be fair, I am quite old," He said with a wink. Betty pulled her mouth corners into an unnatural smile, her heart still beating fast. She has to admit, he's not bad-looking.

"Sorry again and thanks, I'll uh..." She glanced at Alice. "Stick with calling you Charles. You can call me Betty, if you want."

"Thank you, Betty." He said with a nod, his voice warm, like when he was speaking to her mother earlier. Betty was thankful that he didn't move in for a hug. By the way he was dressed, she'd say he looks like someone who has touch issues.

"And you must be... Jughead?" Charles asked, directing his gaze to the boy next to his youngest sister. Jughead looked up, surprised to be acknowledged so soon. He counted on the eldest Cooper sibling being distracted for at least another minute or so.

The serpent had to bite his tongue from responding with 'Yes sir'.

"Yes, I am, it's nice to meet you, Charles." He said, taking a step closer but not extending his hand, knowing it's impolite for the younger male to do it first. Charles picked up on the action, taking a step forward and extending his hand, which Jughead took gratefully.

"It's nice to meet you as well. You have a very interesting name," He mused, wrapping his fingers tightly around Jughead's and squeezing firmly, but not enough to hurt him. Jughead copied the pressure, noting that Charles was wearing a ring.

"Oh, thanks, it's actually just a nickname," He said, 'My name is Forsythe, but most people just call me Jughead. You have a cool car."

Betty hid her smile. Jughead is so sweet.

Charles smirked. "Thanks. It's a bit dirty though. I didn't realize Riverdale gets so much rain; it was pouring when I got here."

"Ah yes, we have very wet Autumns," Alice exclaimed, relieved that the atmosphere was finally lifted. "You should see the thunderstorms we get around these parts, it's terrible. And it can get quite cold as well, thanks to Sweetwater River." She grabbed Betty and Jughead's wrists, pulling them towards the couch, "Come sit down you two, have some cake and tea, let's get to know each other."

The two complied, sticking close to one another. Her Mother and Charles each sat on a single-seater couch and they took a seat on the triple seater couch, leaving a space for Polly, who preferred to sit with the twins on their blanket. As Betty's luck would have it, Charles's seat was straight across from hers. Thankfully, he was more angled towards Alice.

Betty waited for her mother to comment on her outfit, but she never did. Alice herself was wearing a stunning red dress and an elegant pearl necklace. Even Juniper and Dagwood were dressed up. Well, as much as you can dress up a baby. The two high-schoolers understandably felt a bit out of place.

The coffee table was packed with baked treats and sweets, including an enticing double-layered chocolate cake.

An idea popped into Betty's mind. "How about Jughead and I go make coffee for you guys?" She asked hopefully, eager for a chance to break away and discuss the events with her partner.

"It's okay, Sis, I'll do it," Polly said, sweetly. "You spend some time with our new brother!"

As Betty was giving a hard look to her tactless sister, Jughead noticed how Charles's expression shifted slightly. He was obviously not comfortable with the term just yet. There was a bit of tension in his jaw and his breathing was shallow, as if he was anticipating something. Jughead wondered what it was.

Charles's gaze flickered to Jughead, catching him in his act of observation. The younger male turned his head to the side, regretting the action the moment he did it.

What a way to make it obvious. Best to avoid doing that again.

xxxxx

Compared to yesterday, the time flew by.

The conversation began stiffly at first, but thankfully Polly had a magnificent talent for storytelling and she was able to fill every possible awkward silence with some sort of amusing anecdote. She even got a few laughs from Charles. What was suppose to be a quick introductional gathering, was now a Riverdale 101 workshop and a summary of the past 20 years. Alice was beaming, moving her hand every so often to touch her son's arm, especially when she was referencing her children's younger days.

Jughead didn't dare look back at Charles, after locking eyes with him twice more.

He initially thought that the only anxious guests were him and Betty, but after some careful scrutiny, he realized that the only non-anxious one was Polly. Alice and Charles, despite their geniality, both seemed to be on edge.

It could have something to do with what Betty was doing, though.

While Jughead politely avoided looking at the newest Cooper for longer than a few seconds(at least, after being caught), Betty insisted on staring him down.

Charles didn't acknowledge it.

After a few moments, Mrs. Cooper excused herself, apparently to go fetch something. Jughead noticed the lingering shoulder touch she gave Betty in the passing.

He looked over to their guest to see if he detected it, meeting his gaze.

'Damn,' he thought, snapping his head down. 'Three times.'

'Was he... watching him?'

The serpent moved his focus to Betty's clenched fist, reaching as subtly as possible to touch her hand, even if it is just to prevent his fidgeting. Betty felt his hand brush against hers and she gripped it in a crushing vice. Jughead covered his pained yelp by clearing his throat, attempting to get Betty to look at him, but she ignored him.

Her attention had shifted in the meanwhile, from her new brother to her mother, who entered the room with a large photo album.

"Mom," Betty panicked, jumping up. "I'm sure Charles doesn't want to see all those old photos," She reached for the album, but Alice swiftly moved it out of her daughter's reach.

"Relax Betty," She smiled. "I won't show him the photos of you eating mud or your shaved-head phase, I just want to show him the different faces of Riverdale."

"You shaved your head?" Charles asked with a smile,

"She shaved_our_heads, mine in my sleep," Polly recalled begrudgingly, "After her little friend, Archie, convinced her that our cat gave us headlice,"

"I'm assuming Betty also..." Charles paused, glancing at Betty to see if she was okay with the joking conversation. He couldn't tell.

"Shaved the cat? Yup." Polly huffed. She was back on the blanket with the twins, tightening the cap on Juniper's bottle. "And no, we didn't even have lice."

"The cat had fleas," Betty muttered, allowing her mother to move past her.

'This should be fun,' she thought tiredly, surrendering herself to the dishonors her mother was about to rip out of that miserable book. Despite her best attempt to make Charles uncomfortable, he remained the exact same: formal, but sort-of funny. Polite. Not very chatty out of his own, but responsive when listening.

He wasn't what she expected him to be. Then again, her two leading expectations were between twitching, antisocial psychopath and dull, stuck-up hermit.

So far, he was just tall FBI man.

"Alright, Charles, let's start from the beginning," Alice quipped, taking her seat and leaning towards her son, who mirrored the movement, interest sparking in his eyes.

Polly scooted closer as well. She leaned back against Charles's leg, using it as support while she was feeding Juniper. Betty was stunned at her sister's bold and forward action, but Charles didn't seem to mind.

"Oh look! Here's little Betty's first day of middle school!" Alice recalled, taking out a photo of the grinning preteen with two pigtails and multi-colored braces.

Charles tilted his head. "Ah, you also had braces,' he commented.

"Yeah, I... needed them," Betty said, leaning against the wall, still not pleased with her mother's idea. "Polly didn't, though. Did... you?" She asked, cautiously.

He grimaced. "Yes, but I got them late. In my early 20's. So I was_that_guy."

Betty couldn't help but smile. That was a surprisingly human admittance. It made him feel a bit more relatable. She noticed that while his way of speaking was far more mature than hers, he easily switched his speech pattern to casual when addressing her.

She wondered vaguely if this meant he likes her.

"Weren't you sent home on your first day?" Polly interrupted, ruining Betty's moment of joy. "I'm pretty sure it was for punching a boy. Knocked the poor kid's tooth out."

"I didn't punch him that hard, Archie was fine," Betty defended, her cheeks flaring up. "He wouldn't quit pulling my hair."

"I think it was more because he kept snapping her training bra strap," Polly explained, directing it toward Charles.

"Polly!"

"What?" Polly laughed, "He's our brother and an adult, he's not going to freak out over the word 'bra'," She added, fueling her younger sister's embarrassment.

Betty shifted her weight awkwardly from one foot to the other. It was bad enough that this stranger had to endure her Polly's audacious personal space invasion, now she had to freak the man out with feminine things. Sure, most men didn't care, but you never know. After all, Charles did attend an all-boys school.

"I'm sure he didn't dare to do that again," Charles said, more amused than anything else, flipping the photo around to study the penciled-on date. He turned to Alice. "You taught your girls well," he commented, carefully placing it back in the album.

Alice sighed, shaking her head. "Thank you, dear, but I most certainly didn't teach my girls to_punch_people. If a lady disagrees, she says it with her eyes, not her fists." Polly joined in with the last part, repeating it sweetly with her mother, to which Betty rolled her eyes.

"I'll remember that," Betty said dismissively. She felt a hint of pride surging through her veins. Charles indirectly praised her. She knew she wasn't supposed to (or rather, didn't want to) care what he thinks of her, but that was nice to hear comments like that There were obviously no hard feelings between her and Archie and he most certainly learned a valuable lesson that day, but she was made to believe by her parents that there was something wrong with her for reacting the way that she did.

It suddenly occurred to her that Jughead has been very quiet. Even from Betty's stance on the other side of the room, she could tell that Jughead seemed concerned. You could practically hear the gears turning in his brain.

'I'm missing something,' she realized. Betty resented her tendency to get sucked into the dark abyss of her chaotic mind. These days, it seemed to happen a lot more. It was like a haphazardous light switch. Everything that defined who she was and how she wants to act would dissolve into something that felt like radio static. During these times, it was as if her emotions were squished underneath a thick pane of glass. She was able to concentrate on only one thing, usually whatever was pushing her buttons. It gave her malicious intent.

Betty resumed her position next to her friend, following his gaze to see what was worrying him.

Jughead's eyes were fixated on the photo album.

Obviously, there was going to be quite a few photos of Hal. He truly hoped Mrs. Cooper had thought this plan through. If Charles's reactions on Hal were going to be close to Betty's, then this conversation was not going to go well.

Besides, was it really a good idea to show the abandoned son a collection of happy family pictures?

Pictures which should have included him? It was almost cruel.

Jughead twisted his ring from side to side. He could feel Betty's presence next to him. Was she thinking the same thing?

Betty bit her lip. Of course, this was a bad idea, but Charles seemed genuinely curious. So far, he was fascinated with each photo presented to him. Which was odd.

If she were in his shoes, she wouldn't even have shown up today, let alone want to see photos of the two children who made the cut, if she had to put it so bluntly.

She took Jughead's hand, gently this time. If there were going to be any negative reactions, they would be ready for it. But testing the emotional resistance of this man was not something she would willingly partake in.

As for observing it? That she could do.

xxx

Authors note:

Thank you very much for reading. Criticism welcome. Thank you to my one follower so far, you motivate me!

Yours sincerely,

Tom Arlo.


End file.
